August 2023 – Page 2 – DigitalKoans

Archival and Digital Projects Librarian at Hampden-Sydney College

Reporting to the Director of Library, the Archival and Digital Projects Librarian is responsible for ensuring the preservation of and access to, the permanent records of Hampden-Sydney College in all formats, and providing professional leadership and expertise in the management of the College’s paper and electronic records. . . . Supports student and faculty research projects, including digital scholarship and oral history projects, assists researchers in use of library collections, and provides reference services for internal and external patrons.

https://tinyurl.com/ymakwmsc

"The Experiences of COVID-19 Preprint Authors: A Survey of Researchers about Publishing and Receiving Feedback on Their Work during the Pandemic"

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rise in preprinting, triggered by the need for open and rapid dissemination of research outputs. We surveyed authors of COVID-19 preprints to learn about their experiences with preprinting their work and also with publishing their work in a peer-reviewed journal. Our research had the following objectives: 1. to learn about authors’ experiences with preprinting, their motivations, and future intentions; 2. to consider preprints in terms of their effectiveness in enabling authors to receive feedback on their work; 3. to compare the impact of feedback on preprints with the impact of comments of editors and reviewers on papers submitted to journals. In our survey, 78% of the new adopters of preprinting reported the intention to also preprint their future work. The boost in preprinting may therefore have a structural effect that will last after the pandemic, although future developments will also depend on other factors, including the broader growth in the adoption of open science practices. A total of 53% of the respondents reported that they had received feedback on their preprints. However, more than half of the feedback was received through "closed" channels–privately to the authors. This means that preprinting was a useful way to receive feedback on research, but the value of feedback could be increased further by facilitating and promoting "open" channels for preprint feedback. Almost a quarter of the feedback received by respondents consisted of detailed comments, showing the potential of preprint feedback to provide valuable comments on research. Respondents also reported that, compared to preprint feedback, journal peer review was more likely to lead to major changes to their work, suggesting that journal peer review provides significant added value compared to feedback received on preprints.

https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15864

| Research Data Publication and Citation Bibliography | Research Data Sharing and Reuse Bibliography | Research Data Curation and Management Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Librarian [Electronic Resources] at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Lead a program to procure and maintain an electronic resource collection that supports the research needs of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) staff. The electronic resource collection includes databases, ebooks, ejournals, streaming media, and membership-based resources.

Responsible for the entire lifecycle of electronic resources. Work with other NOAA Central Library (NCL) team members to investigate, establish, and maintain transformative agreements with publishers. Perform procurement market research, testing and implementation of new systems and products, and enhancements to current library systems. Act as Contracting Officer’s Representative on all systems-related procurements.

Apply advance knowledge of NOAA Information Technology (IT) procurement and IT security policies related to acquisition of electronic library subscriptions. Serve as an authority and point of contact for the collection of all electronic resource metrics (e.g. COUNTER statistics using SUSHI protocols when available, and citation data) pertaining to online subscriptions. Apply expert level knowledge of MARC and other metadata schemas, structured data, markup languages, and content standards in order to enhance electronic resource discovery.

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/742285500

"The Cost Profiles of Alternative Approaches to Journal Publishing"

The digital era is having a substantial impact on journal publishing. In order to assist in analysing this impact, a model is developed of the costs incurred in operating a refereed journal. Published information and estimates are used to apply the model to a computation of the total costs and per–article costs of various forms of journal publishing. Particular attention is paid to the differences between print and electronic forms of journals, to the various forms of open access, and to the differences between not–for–profit and for–profit publishing undertakings.

Insight is provided into why for–profit publishing is considerably more expensive than equivalent activities undertaken by unincorporated mutuals and not–for–profit associations. Conclusions are drawn concerning the current debates among conventional approaches and the various open alternatives.

https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v12i12.2048

| Research Data Publication and Citation Bibliography | Research Data Sharing and Reuse Bibliography | Research Data Curation and Management Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Digital Programs Librarian at Boston Athenæum

Reporting to the N.E.H. Chief Technical Services Librarian, the Digital Programs Librarian plays a critical role in preserving, providing access to and promoting the Boston Athenæum’s collections by overseeing all facets of image production, including the post-capture processing of digital surrogates; ingestion into the Athenaeum’s digital asset management system (DAM), CONTENTdm; and adding appropriate metadata. The position also maintains the integrity of the Athenaeum’s DAM; adheres to file naming protocols; and maintains the organization of the digital surrogate drives and files.

https://tinyurl.com/ms763zfd

"Actually Accessible Data: An Update and a Call to Action"

As funder, journal, and disciplinary norms and mandates have foregrounded obligations of data sharing and opportunities for data reuse, the need to plan for and curate data sets that can reach researchers and end-users with disabilities has become even more urgent. We begin by exploring the disability studies literature, describing the need for advocacy and representation of disabled scholars as data creators, subjects, and users. We then survey the landscape of data repositories, curation guidelines, and research-data-related standards, finding little consideration of accessibility for people with disabilities. We suggest three sets of minimal good practices for moving toward truly accessible research data: 1) ensuring Web accessibility for data repositories; 2) ensuring accessibility of common text formats, including those used in documentation; and 3) enhancement of visual and audiovisual materials. We point to some signs of progress in regard to truly accessible data by highlighting exemplary practices by repositories, standards, and data professionals. Accessibility needs to become a mainstream component of curation practice included in every training, manual, and primer.

https://tinyurl.com/2p8p4dau

| Research Data Publication and Citation Bibliography | Research Data Sharing and Reuse Bibliography | Research Data Curation and Management Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Digital Projects Analyst at Duke Medical Center

The Digital Projects Analyst develops and maintains a portfolio of projects that provide business intelligence and analytic support for program evaluation at the Medical Center Library and Archives. This position works collaboratively with cross-functional teams including librarians, end users, application developers, and domain experts to create user-friendly reporting tools in order to enhance internal workflows and improve external services. Responsibilities include developing reporting tools or other dashboards to display publication data from institutional authors, creating dashboards to aggregate usage data from library resources, maintaining a tracking system for monitoring institutional compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy, and participating in Web analytics projects. As part of the Information Technology team, the Analyst also collaborates with other Library IT staff on IT projects, such as Web services and licensed applications, and provides backup support for hardware and software issues.

https://mclibrary.duke.edu/about/employment

"Deepfakes and Scientific Knowledge Dissemination"

Science misinformation on topics ranging from climate change to vaccines have significant public policy repercussions. Artificial intelligence-based methods of altering videos and photos (deepfakes) lower the barriers to the mass creation and dissemination of realistic, manipulated digital content. The risk of exposure to deepfakes among education stakeholders has increased as learners and educators rely on videos to obtain and share information. We field the first study to understand the vulnerabilities of education stakeholders to science deepfakes and the characteristics that moderate vulnerability. We ground our study in climate change and survey individuals from five populations spanning students, educators, and the adult public. Our sample is nationally representative of three populations. We found that 27–50% of individuals cannot distinguish authentic videos from deepfakes. All populations exhibit vulnerability to deepfakes which increases with age and trust in information sources but has a mixed relationship with political orientation. Adults and educators exhibit greater vulnerability compared to students, indicating that those providing education are especially susceptible. Vulnerability increases with exposure to potential deepfakes, suggesting that deepfakes become more pernicious without interventions. Our results suggest that focusing on the social context in which deepfakes reside is one promising strategy for combatting deepfakes.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-39944-3

Digital Collections Support Officer at University of Edinburgh

Managing digital heritage collections, including images and associated metadata, within new and legacy digital collections systems so that they can be easily accessed and used for learning, teaching, research and other purposes. This includes migrating collections between systems.

Undertaking configuration work within digital collections systems, based on user feedback and new technical developments

Providing technical support for digital systems used for digitisation

https://tinyurl.com/4wwteba4

"A Decade of Surveys on Attitudes to Data Sharing Highlights Three Factors for Achieving Open Science"

Over a 10 year period Carol Tenopir of DataONE and her team conducted a global survey of scientists, managers and government workers involved in broad environmental science activities about their willingness to share data and their opinion of the resources available to do so. . . .

The most surprising result was that a higher willingness to share data corresponded with a decrease in satisfaction with data sharing resources across nations (e.g., skills, tools, training) (Fig.1). That is, researchers who did not want to share data were satisfied with the available resources, and those that did want to share data were dissatisfied. Researchers appear to only discover that the tools are insufficient when they begin the hard work of engaging in open science practices. This indicates that a cultural shift in the attitudes of researchers needs to precede the development of support and tools for data management.

https://tinyurl.com/4sx54c6d

Assistant Director of Research, Learning, and Technology Services at Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library

The Assistant Director of Research, Learning, and Technology Services (RLTS) provides leadership, guidance, and expertise in delivering information and research services. The Assistant Director of RLTS will oversee the day-to-day operations of public services, provide a vision for user engagement, and advance high-priority initiatives emphasizing research, student success, information literacy, and user experiences. The AD of RLTS is responsible for direct oversight of the following units: Access & Circulation Services, Research Services, and Online Learning & Technology Services.

https://www.auctr.edu/about/job-opportunities/

"Open Access Mirror Journals: An Experiment in Brand Loyalty"

Open access (OA) mirror journals have been launched by Elsevier as an alternative or supplement to original non-OA journals [1]. These OA mirror journals have the same title, aims and scope, editorial board, and peer-review process as their parent journal, and are distinguished by an "X" after the name. However, because the OA mirror journals have their own ISSNs (International Standard Serial Numbers), they are completely separate journals, which does not fit with Harrison’s [1] assertion that by publishing OA mirror journals, Elsevier is responding to authors’ need to publish in OA journals while simultaneously not wanting to sacrifice their association with the leading journal brands in their field. Asai [2] compared 22 pairs of Elsevier’s OA mirror journals with their parent journals and found that the parent journals were more preferred by authors. This essay analyses Elsevier’s OA mirror journals as an experiment of one publisher, which has a dominant position in the scientific publishing market. Elsevier has set an ambitious price level for article processing charges (APCs) in these OA mirror journals. The evolution of the price level for mirror journals, compared with the evolution of the price level for APCs for other Elsevier’s journals, is used to assess the success of Elsevier’s experiment.

https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.308

Associate Cloud Engineer, Libraries at Vanderbilt University

The Cloud Engineer will both experiment and institutionalize new technology for the Digital Lab, the Libraries, and campus partners, serving in a critical role in the advancement and perpetual preservation of digital projects. . . . Working in development and production environments, the Engineer will assist with building application tools that automate workflows, manage metadata, and integrate systems. . . . The Cloud Engineer will work closely with the Library Technical and Digital Services (LTDS) in the Libraries, as well as partners in Vanderbilt University IT (VUIT), Research IT, and Faculty partners to ensure long-term sustainability and interoperability of applications in the broader library and campus IT environment.

https://tinyurl.com/p76yb8z4

"IOP Publishing and the University of Texas System Drive Forward Open Access to North American Research with New Transformative Agreement"

The University of Texas System (UT System) — one of the US’s largest public university systems — have established a three-year transformative agreement (TA) with society publisher IOP Publishing (IOPP). The agreement between IOPP and the UT System allows affiliated researchers to publish unlimited OA articles in IOPP’s journals and most partner journals with the costs to publish already covered. . . .

The TA will help to widen the readership and increase visibility of research published by authors affiliated with all 14 UT System Institutions. IOPP user data shows that OA content is downloaded 80% more and cited 30% more than paywalled content, demonstrating the substantial advantages of publishing research OA.

https://tinyurl.com/5n6t3z5u

Library Systems Specialist at Rice University

Fondren Library at Rice University seeks a Library Systems Specialist. The position is responsible for managing and maintaining library systems and technologies and acts as a resource person to library staff on automation, technology, process improvement, and developments affecting the library. The Library Systems Specialist works with the Systems Librarian to manage and optimize the library services platform to ensure efficient and seamless access to resources and services.

https://tinyurl.com/bdd72w9k

"AI, the New Frontier — Opportunities and Challenges"

Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently all the rage in our global economy. The launch of ChatGPT broke all of the records for user adoption – Reuters reported that ChatGPT achieved 100 million users in two months. . . .

Within scholarly publishing, we have ushered in the internet, digital journals, and books, and now we are witnessing first-hand the benefits of AI, semantic search, IoT, and WEB3. This article aims to provide a context of the history of AI, the opportunities, challenges, new services, and governance.

https://tinyurl.com/yfmew3r8

Literatures & Digital Humanities Librarian at UC Berkeley

In the digital humanities, this librarian will work within the Arts and Humanities Division as well as with partners across the Library and campus to support digital approaches to humanistic research, teaching, and learning. In collaboration with the division head, they will promote learning and development among subject specialists and other Library staff around digital humanities issues, tools, and projects. In collaboration with the Associate University Librarian for Digital Initiatives, they will work with a network of other Library units such as the Library Data Services Program, Scholarly Communications Office, and Library IT to develop and support Library services for digital scholarship. Finally, they will serve as a liaison to and participate in campus digital humanities groups and departments that support digital scholarship in the humanities.

https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04057

"Introducing the Open Resource Sharing Coalition (OpenRS)"

The Open Library Foundation (OLF) is introducing the Open Resource Sharing Coalition (OpenRS), a resource sharing initiative created in partnership with library consortia, open source developers, and vendors. OpenRS is a heterogeneous resource sharing system that is ILS and Discovery agnostic and accommodates the full spectrum of mediated and unmediated resource sharing.

OpenRS acts upon a "consortia first" mentality, striving to provide libraries with the tools needed for robust and extended functionality for resource sharing. The project will focus on developing and implementing software systems, protocols, and best practices that foster collaboration and support various library services, including seamless unmediated intra-consortial borrowing functionality and expanded sharing across multiple consortia. The software will provide a containerized code base configured for ease of deployment, maintenance, and upgrades. Libraries and consortia can choose to host the service locally or with a third party. . . .

While yet to be an official project, OLF is expected to approve the OpenRS charter by the end of August. An official web presence will be added to the OLF site soon. Core OpenRS functionality for direct consortial borrowing will be rolled out as part of the MOBIUS release in May 2024. Additional features and functionality will be determined based on coalition feedback and implemented over the coming months and years.

https://tinyurl.com/5n8b2yxx

Library User Experience Web Developer at Western Carolina University (3 Year Term)

Working in a highly collaborative, small team environment, the candidate’s leadership responsibilities will intersect with many of the library’s key strategic initiatives. Serving as a member of the COMET Department (Content, Organization & Management, eResources and Technology), the person in this position will work closely with the Systems Librarian to ensure systems integrate seamlessly with one another. They will also supervise the work of one Technology Support Analyst and may also supervise student employees.

https://jobs.wcu.edu/postings/25124

"Article Processing Charges in Gold Open Access Journals: An Empirical Study"

This study focuses on analyzing the trends in article processing charges (APCs) levied by open access journals. . . . Among the 17,379 journals included in the DOAJ, only 5,122 journals were found to charge APCs. Through the examination of the collected data, it was discovered that the highest APC amount recorded was INR 518,334.95 (equivalent to USD 6680.46), while the lowest APC observed was INR 1.04 (equivalent to USD 0.013).

https://doi.org/10.1080/15424065.2023.2243801

Digital Media Metadata Analyst at Ball State University

Ball State University Libraries is searching for an energetic, detail-oriented person to join our committed and highly-engaged team of Metadata and Digital Initiatives staff, responsible for evaluating, describing, and codifying a variety of digital assets for inclusion in University Libraries Digital Media Repository, a full-text searchable database of over 250,000 digital assets in over 300 collections of primary source materials and learning objects. The repository is visited by over 115,000 researchers per year who view over 800,000 individual digital resources annually.

https://bsu.peopleadmin.com/postings/38871

Data Sharing for Research: A Compendium of Case Studies, Analysis, and Recommendations

This report contains eight case studies that look at specific corporate/academic data-sharing partnerships in depth, from initiation through the publication of research findings. These case studies illuminate practical challenges for implementing corporate data sharing with researchers. Some common themes that emerged from the case studies include:

Successful data-sharing partnerships use Data-Sharing Agreements that require both the company and researchers to take steps to protect privacy.

Some of the challenges of data sharing include technical knowledge and infrastructure gaps between companies and researchers, and the continuing need for ethics and privacy review for industry-based research.

Promising practices for data sharing include the use of Privacy Enhancing Technologies and company-created, public-facing data-sharing menus to facilitate new partnerships.

While data sharing has significant costs and inherent risks, the risks can be managed, and the benefits to researchers, companies, and society make data sharing worth the effort.

https://tinyurl.com/a9axcscp

Chief Data Officer, Office of Digital Transformation at Smithsonian Institution

The Chief Data Officer leads development of the SI Data Strategy for the Institution to include associated policies, guidelines, best practices, and an implementation approach to enable Smithsonian’s digital transformation, aligned with the Smithsonian’s Strategic Plan, best practices and federal data strategies and requirements where applicable. Spearheads Institutional efforts to manage data and data assets at every stage of the data lifecycle by establishing effective procedures, standards, and controls to ensure quality, accuracy, access, and protection of data, as well as managing information resources.

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/743322800

"Open Access and University IP Policies in the United States"

Although the existing, somewhat messy, maze of institutional IP policies, publishing agreements, and OA policies can seem daunting, understanding their terms is important for authors who want to see their works made openly available. I’ll leave for another day to explore whether it’s a good thing that the rights situation is so complex. In many situations, rights thickets like these can be a real detriment to authors and access to their works. In this case the situation is at least nuanced such that authors are able to leverage pre-existing licenses to avoid negotiating away the bundle of rights they need to see their works made available openly.

https://tinyurl.com/3ttpd7my

Systems Librarian at Middle Tennessee State University

Lead the unit responsible for managing the library’s systems, which includes the day-to-day operation and support of the following: the library’s LSP (FOLIO); the servers and configurations for Nagios, EZproxy, VuFind, Matomo, DSpace, Open Journal Systems (OJS), Open Monograph Press (OMP); ILLiad configuration and upgrades; and Veeam, the systems’ data backup solution. . . .

Advise the CDM Chair in articulating a user-centered, holistic vision to meet current and emerging information needs, technology, and new collection/content building and delivery models. Collaborate with relevant stakeholders and vendors to develop, coordinate, and implement policies and practices within the LSP (FOLIO).

https://tinyurl.com/yc35hfff